Apr 11 Live Jazz and Edible Delights at Union District Oyster Bar

Hey guys! I’m back! I’ve been quietly enjoying all my edible adventures around DC. Today I’m here to share the goods on my edible excursion at Union District Oyster Bar. I was lucky enough to get a reservation on my birthday (April 1st), which happened to be on Monday. At Union District Oyster Bar they host Live Jazz Mondays. So that meant I was in for a full show with my food and drinks.

The restaurant is located right in the middle of Union Market off Florida Ave. There are two floors which provides lots of seating. The decor of the top floor of the restaurant is so warm and inviting. On one half you half a wall lined with comfortable and stylish sofas and coffee tables. In the middle you have tables and chairs for formal seating and to the left you have the bar.

Let’s Talk Food and Drinks

Whenever I visit a new restaurant for the first time, I love to order one of their signature drinks. So, I opted for one of their classics, the Union Oyster Bar Blue Whiskey Mule. This drink did not disappoint. I loved the mix of elderflower with the whiskey and the ginger beer was an added plus.

When it comes to appetizer, if a restaurant offers raw oysters I’m always ordering. I’m a bonafide oyster lover. I decided to go with their signature oysters, “Sweet Jesus”. My only critique would be the level of salt added to the oysters. Oysters themselves have a natural saltiness to them so adding extra salt of any kind disrupts the taste and flavor for me.

For my entree, I decided to be extremely adventurous. I’ve heard so many things about fried lobster so, it only seemed fitting that I should order their Buttermilk Deep Fried Lobster Tail. At $48 , I can definitely say that you get your money’s worth. The entree is served with two medium sized lobster tails served on top of a cast iron skillet of five cheese macaroni and grilled asparagus. The buttermilk fried lobster tails are dressed with a cajun cream aloi sauce.

The dish was a magnificent pairing of taste profiles. You have a rich and creamy macaroni with grilled, well seasoned asparagus, offset by the fried lobster tail. When you ate them together it was almost like eating lobster mac and cheese with a twist. My only critique is the fried lobster tail itself. While tasty, I think frying the lobster tail makes the lobster meat a tad bit chewy and rubbery. This meal would be a total 5 stars if the lobster tail had been grilled instead of fried. Other than that the meal was fabulous.

The highlight of the evening was the live jazz band that played towards the end of my meal and the friendly and pleasurable waitress. We shared small talk and at the end of the day and upon leaving, she hugged me like we had been friends for years.

Needless to say Union District Oyster Bar is definitely a spot that I will frequent. I’ve already decided that on my next visit, I’m ordering the Colossal Crab Cake.